Bay State households looking to add a dog for the New Year will soon have the option to adopt a dog from storm-ravaged Kentucky.
Twenty of the pups were en route from Kentucky to Massachusetts on Wednesday to arrive at Salem’s Northeast Animal Shelter. According to the MSPCA Angell, all dogs are expected to find a home quickly.
“If you’re thinking of adding a dog in 2022, this is the time,” said Rob Halpin of MSPCA-Angell on Wednesday.
He pointed out that an “assortment pack” of dogs emerged from the Kentucky Humane Society. There is a mix of terriers, beagles, cattle dogs, labs, boxers, and others.
“People always want puppies, and these dogs range from 13 weeks to 3 years,” added Halpin.
A team of employees drove two trucks from Kentucky to the Salem shelter, after which the dogs will complete their mandatory 48-hour quarantine.
“They’ll go through health and behavioral tests to prepare them for a new home,” Halpin said.
The 20 dogs that arrive here are following on the heels of MSPCA Angell and Northeast Animal Shelter, which are receiving 100 cats from Kentucky. Most of the 100 cats have now been placed in homes, with only a handful still waiting to be adopted.
The Massachusetts Humane Society has not relocated human pets from the state devastated by deadly tornadoes. These cats and dogs were living in an animal shelter before the storms.
These animal transports from Kentucky to Massachusetts are key to making room in animal shelters so local organizations can help the animals displaced by the storms.
MSPCA Angell expects to announce that the 20 dogs will be put up for adoption next Monday or Tuesday.
“Special thanks to our partners at ASPCA who helped bring these dogs to New England,” wrote Northeast Animal Shelter on Facebook. “We’ll have more information on how to adopt these cuties in the coming days.”
Anyone interested in adoption should visit www.northeastanimalshelter.org/kentuckypets/.
The 20 dogs arrive at a time of year when the Humane Society’s resources are exhausted, according to MSPCA-Angell. Anyone interested in helping offset the cost of caring for so many pets before they can be re-housed can donate at www.mspca.org/Kentucky.